UEFA backs MEP call to suspend football matches

MEPs are calling for football’s governing bodies to back tough new sanctions, including abandoning matches, in a bid to blow the final whistle on racism.

Launching a cross party declaration on tackling racism in sport on Wednesday, Dutch MEP Emine Bozkurt said it was time take concrete steps to stamp out racial abuse both on the terraces and on the pitch.

“We call on all organisers of football leagues to allow referees to suspend or cancel matches when incidents of racist abuse occur,” said Bozkurt.

“Tough sanctions should be the ultimate remedy. If fans or players of certain clubs repeatedly misbehave, then it should be possible to exclude these clubs from competitions.”

And the controversial measures have the backing of UEFA, Europe’s highest footballing authority.

“UEFA will by no means tolerate racism,” the authority’s vice president Per Omdal told journalists, adding “We will not rest until football is free of racism and strongly appeal to high profile players and coaches to speak out.”

“Referees can do a lot,” said Omdal, including stopping matches, reporting abuses and even abandoning games completely.

“We are prepared to sanction closing stadia and stopping the participation of teams in competitions.”

Chair of the European Parliament’s Anti-Racism Intergroup, Claude Moraes, said he wanted to see tough action such as abandoning matches introduced at all levels.

Messina defender Marc André Zoro hit the headlines earlier this month when he walked off from a match carrying the ball under his arm. 

Zoro, from the Ivory Coast, said he was sick of being subjected to a tirade of racial abuse from Inter Milan fans.

“Enough is enough, there is a lot of pain in the beautiful game nowadays,” said Moraes.

“Enforcement of sanctions needs to be clear, abandoning matches because of racist abuse will send clubs a message.”

Former Celtic, Chelsea and AS Bari player, Paul Elliot told MEPs and journalists of his first hand experiences of racial abuse.

“I was among the first generation of black players in English football,” said Elliot, who was subjected to monkey chanting and banana throwing abuse.

“At that time no-one treated the issue seriously, it was swept under the carpet.”

But Elliot said he believed that there has been enough talk, it was now time for action, and said that clubs, like any other employer, had a duty of care to their employees.

Welcoming the declaration, Elliot said governing bodies such as UEFA must take more responsibility.

“UEFA and the game’s governing bodies dictate the tempo…the people at the top press the buttons.”

And he backed the MEPs zero tolerance approach.

“Sending off players or abandoning matches is the right attitude – it’s about sustainability of action - It sends out a message of intent to clubs.”

Moraes called on MEPs to back the campaign by signing the seven point declaration which he hopes could then become a formal European Parliament resolution.

And the British MEP wants the media to also take a tougher stance.

“We should look at even stopping the television transmission of matches when racist abuse occurs. A blank screen would ram the message home.”

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